The Not So Magic Eight Ball
by Skinfull
Summary: Christmas was never a good time for Mulder. Will it ever change? COMPLETE
1. Default Chapter

**Author's notes**: Written for the Golden Gurney December Fic Challenge on MR  
  
**The Not So Magic Eight Ball  
**  
**By Skinfull  
**  
He could feel the wetness of the snow soak rapidly through his clothes as he lay on the cold hard pavement. The hope that this was a dream was shattered by the thick taste of blood in his mouth. No, he realized, this was all too painfully real. He tried to force himself out of the suffocating haze that threatened to keep him lying in the snow, until finally he succeeded. Managing to move, he pushed himself into a sitting position, brushing the cold snow from his hands as he wiped them on his trousers. He tried to ignore the thumping pain in his head and the blurry spots that marred his vision.  
  
For a moment he held his breath, not wanting to even move his lungs for the pain it caused, and he rested on the cold concrete curb as the pain slowly subsided to a dull throb. He felt his hand brush against something small, hard and glanced down to see a magic eight ball lying face down in the melting snow, aching to be used. Without thought, he reached down to pick it up, wincing at the shot of pain that raced to his elbow. A deep breath expanded his lungs, giving him the strength he needed to ignore the pain as he shook the small fortune telling gadget. Turning it around, he winced once more as his fate was revealed.  
  
"Outlook not so good," Mulder read aloud, flinching at the sharp pain from his cracked lip, and all the other sore body parts. "No shit."  
  
_Muhaaa haaa haaa! Another teaser start! WOO HOO! This isn't the fic I intended on posting but one thing led to another and the other one hasn't been finished yet...so this I hope will tide you over for a while!_


	2. Chapter 2

**14 Hours Earlier **

**FBI Basement Office **

**10.45am Dec 24th  
**  
Mulder's coffee was sweet. He didn't usually take sugar, but as he idly stirred the milk in with the small plastic white stirrer, Scully walked in. He stood hidden by the shadows, his lips parted about to imbue her with a morning greeting when he froze. Her rich red locks bounced freely about her face, concealing the smile she wore as she hung up her coat and circled her table.  
  
She was wearing a casual pair of black trousers and low heels, but his eyes focused on the baby blue fitted top, with the low v-neck that revealed the glinting cross she perpetually wore. Her fingers brushed across the blue tinsel she'd taped around her PC screen the week before, much to his own protestation and he noticed the far away look in her eyes. Glancing quickly at his own desk, he spotted the red tinsel he'd surprised her with on his PC, and he couldn't help the smile that proudly gleamed his lips.  
  
In his attempt to bask in the silent Scully moment, he unknowingly emptied three sachets of sugar into his coffee and stirred it slowly, his mind elsewhere.  
  
"Gonna make me a cup, Mulder?" she asked without looking up, as she pulled into her own desk and rifled through the files that rested there.  
  
"Always do, don't I?" His answer was quick, too quick he cursed, as he hurried to fix her a coffee, spilling the boiling water on his wrist in his haste. "Ow, Shit!"  
  
His curse was low, muttered through gritted teeth, but it was enough to grasp her attention. Switching hands, he walked over with her drink, shaking his left hand in short sharp jerks to get rid of the tingling pain.  
  
"Burn yourself?" She put the coffee on the table and took his hand before he could walk away. Turning it over to closely examine the red skin, she pulled it closer to her face to see it better in the dimly lit office. It was nothing he hadn't done before, she noticed, and probably would again. "You'll live."  
  
Returning to his desk, his eyes watching the strands of red tinsel flutter as he sat down with a heavy whoosh, he ignored the stinging in his hand and sipped his coffee. It was definitely, too sweet.  
  
"I thought you weren't coming in today anyway?" His voice had an unintentional edge to it as if he was blaming her for his lapse in concentration, that made him taint his coffee with a saccharine taste he couldn't swallow, and pour the hot water across his wrist, wetting his shirt cuff in the process and having to withstand repeated burns from the hot wet material.  
  
"Don't worry Mulder I wont be here for long. I only came into collect some files for the paper I'm writing."  
  
"Haven't you finished that yet?"  
  
"Nearly. I'll finish it over the holidays."  
  
The room slowly sank into a silence that comfortably enveloped both of them. As the heating made it's presence known, Mulder took the opportunity to roll up his sleeves and relieve himself of the wet cuff, as she gathered files from various cabinets, muttering names and dates under her breath as she searched.  
  
"You're gonna have to do something about this system Mulder."  
  
"It's fine the way it is, Scully. Don't mess with it if it ain't broke!"  
  
She tossed him a small smile as she walked back to her desk, the elusive files held securely in her arms. Lunch arrived without ceremony, and Mulder soon recognized her home routine as Scully shut down her PC, fixing her notes into her case.  
  
"Leaving so soon?"  
  
"Yes Mulder, although my desire to remain in the basement with you all day is uncontrollable, I do have other places to go to and people to see. It's Christmas Eve and I plan on doing just that. You should try it."  
  
"I've tried it. I didn't like it!"  
  
"Well maybe you weren't doing it right." Accompanied by his low chuckle she wrapped her coat around her and closed it tightly, before tying the scarf loosely around her neck. "You know you're welcome to come to dinner, Mulder. Mom would love to have you over."  
  
"I know I just..."  
  
"Yeah...Bill will be there."  
  
"I got some stuff I need to check out and then I promised the guys..." His voice trailed off as she stepped around his desk to see his screen, noticing the half filled in crossword on the New York Times web site.  
  
"7 Down Mulder...procrastination...to postpone action."  
  
"Yeah I got that one."  
  
"Mulder, it's Christmas eve. There's no law that says you have to spend it alone."  
  
"I know Scully."  
  
"You know where I'll be."  
  
Deciding not to push, she left him with a lingering look and a half smile as she collected her case from her desk, leaving the room with a swift motion of small steps, wafting a lingering scent of her perfume behind her. Mulder listened to her soft footfalls as she walked the short length of the corridor to the elevator and listened for the tinny ding as the car arrived. It seemed to shock him out of his seat; he bolted across the room and bounded out of the door to catch her as she stepped in.  
  
"Scully?"  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"Should I pick you up?" he asked hesitantly, one of his long arms holding onto the doorframe as he leaned around the corner to see her.  
  
"Sure. About 7."  
  
The doors closed slowly, solidly and he returned to his desk. Letting out a sigh as he fell back onto his chair again, this time with more assuredness. Suddenly the snow that was pelting against the window didn't seem so bleak, and the wind that threatened to disturb his cocoon was held at bay for just a little longer.  
  
The urge to leave the confines of his basement was overwhelming as he hurriedly switched the PC off, grabbing his jacket from the chair.  
  
In his haste, he didn't notice the sleeve of the jacket knock over the unwanted cup of coffee until it's contents had spilled all over his desk. His expletives came fast and furious as he rushed out to the toilets to grab a towel to halt the spill from travelling further. But finally his passage was cleared and he left the office, locking it behind him.  
  
Foregoing the elevator, Mulder practically bounced up the stairs taking them two at a time only to slam into the locked door at the garage. Confused, he pressed harder on the metal bar that crossed the door but it wasn't moving.  
  
"What the..." Again and again he tried, but decided against trying to break the metal doors down in favor of keeping his shoulder intact. He backtracked to the ground floor entrance and made his way through the empty halls to the main desk, where the security officer sat watching the bank of small black and white security televisions.  
  
"Excuse me, I can't seem to get into the garage. The door's locked."  
  
"Yeah all the doors are locked as of 11am this morning. The timer has been set. Your car in there?" the elderly man added with a smirk.  
  
"Eh yeah it's where I tend to keep it when I'm at work!"  
  
"Well the memo was sent out last week. Since the office was closing for the holidays they decided to minimize security breeches and lock up early."  
  
"Well can I get my car out?"  
  
"Sorry buddy, the whole system is on a timer. Won't be open again until the 28th."  
  
"That's bullshit! The 28th? But, I need my car?"  
  
"Well you shouldn't have parked it in the garage."  
  
Mulder stared at him incredulously, his mind reeling with possibilities of how to hide the body but glancing him over he decided against it, he had enough to carry with his briefcase, especially when he didn't have a car. He exhaled sharply as he closed his coat over and stalked out through the front door. Immediately battered by the cold, he hurriedly made his way across the street to the bank of cabs that awaited his custom. Realizing now why there were so many spaces available in the FBI garage this morning, he called out his address to the driver and jumped in the back for the short journey, wondering how he was going to pick up Scully without his car.

_This chapter was a little bit longer... :) _


	3. Chapter 3

Mulder fished in his pockets for his house keys as he paid the driver but came up with car keys instead, taunting him uselessly in his hand. As he walked up the path, he spied that the street lights were out and looking up at his own building, Mulder noticed that the lack of lights and missing Christmas trees twinkling, told him in advance that the power was most likely out in the whole block. Trying to juggle his keys, phone and case, Mulder hit speed dial 1 as he inserted the right key.  
  
The ringing in his ear distracted him enough to stop messing with the key, smiling at the sound of her voice as she answered with a panting breath.  
  
"Scully, it's me." He turned back to his door and tried again with the key.  
  
"Hi Mulder, did you change your mind?"  
  
"No nothing like that. But I did manage to get my car locked in the FBI garage. I wont be able to pick it up until Tuesday. Can you swing by my place instead?" he asked sheepishly, tugging firmly on the cold key to unlock the door.  
  
"Yeah sure, no problem. I'll be there at 6.30."  
  
"Great Scully, thanks." He pulled sharply on his key, when it suddenly snapped off leaving half of it in the keyhole. "Aw shit!"  
  
"What? What is it Mulder?"  
  
"Oh nothing. I gotta go Scully. I'll see you later."  
  
He shoved the phone in his pocket and felt the heat rising up his neck and cheeks as the small protruding piece of broken metal mocked him from the keyhole. With no other options, Mulder pressed the buzzers for the other apartments hoping someone would let him in. Needing only to try three numbers before an angry neighbor granted him access, he shot up to his place and called the landlord.  
  
A few flicks of the light switch confirmed the lack of power to the building, and he fumbled on his desk for the phone. Holding it between his head and shoulder, Mulder began to undress quickly and started the shower before the gruff voice of his landlord answered.  
  
"Mr Troy? It's Fox Mulder apartment 42...I had a problem with the front door this evening...yes I think the lock may have been frozen, it swallowed half my key."  
  
In the dark Mulder gathered the towels from the hot press and tossed them aimlessly into the bathroom, as he went into his bedroom to rummage for clean clothes.  
  
"Yes I understand it's Christmas Eve...I understand that it will be difficult to get a locksmith out here...pay for it?" He stood in the middle of his bedroom with a pile of tee shirts in his hands. "But I...okay okay okay...just send me the bill...whatever."  
  
He switched the phone off and tossed it through the dark in what he hoped was the general direction of the bed. Stripping out of the remainder of his clothes, Mulder fumbled his way around the cluttered room to the door, finally making it to the bathroom unharmed. Noticing that he wasn't met with a warm wall of steam it suddenly dawned on him that his electric shower wouldn't provide him with the warmth he desired.  
  
Shit!  
  
"Gimme a break," he muttered as he reached out his hand in the dark only to have it met by a freezing blast of water. Shivering now as he stood wearing only his boxer shorts, he turned it off and made his way back to the bedroom, his arms outstretched in the pitch-blackness to feel his way. He searched for the phone again and hit speed dial 1, tossing on a jumper as he waited for her to answer.  
  
"Hello Mulder...have you changed your mind this time?" her voice came down the phone.  
  
"No...not quite." Her quiet laugh made him grin. "I do have another problem. My car is locked in the car park at work, and I just got home to find my shower is out. So is my power ...any chance I can come by your place and avail myself of your facilities?"  
  
"Sure Mulder. Do you want me to pick you up?"  
  
"No. I'll get a cab. See you in a bit."  
  
Scully rubbed her hair with a soft white towel enjoying the glass of white wine, sitting in front of the small fire she couldn't resist lighting. Her eyes wandered around the room, her lips pursed as she gazed upon the Alien biopsy book Mulder had given her last month. However they turned down at the sight of the family portrait that stood proudly over the mantelpiece. Letting her eyes linger a moment longer soaking in the image of her dead sister and her father, she shook the melancholy thoughts from her head as she sipped the sweet wine again, giving her hair one more vigorous rub before placing the damp towel over the radiator.  
  
Passing the tree, she spied the bundle of presents she was bringing to her moms this evening and couldn't help the involuntary tingle of anticipation that coursed through her body. She hadn't thought of taking Mulder's gift but now that he was joining them she'd hate to have him feel left out. Her mother had been delighted at the news that he was coming and she promised to talk to Bill before they arrived. A soft almost shy knock at the door dragged her away from the fire to open it, where she found Mulder, wearing a crooked smile, standing sheepishly holding a hastily packed gym bag.  
  
"Mulder. Come in." She stood back pulling the door open further to allow him entry, but when he stepped in she noticed he was limping. "What's happened? Why are you limping?"  
  
"I kind of went over on my ankle rushing for a cab, it's nothing, don't worry about it. My ass took the brunt of the fall!" He turned away, hiding his blush as the image of his ungainly figure sprawled on the icy sidewalk flashed into his mind, once again making him relive the impact of the hard cold ice. Brushing off her concern with a wave of his hand he glanced around the room.  
  
"I'll just go...and eh..." he stammered gesturing towards the bathroom. She nodded her head with a smile and watched as he made his way through the living room, walking gingerly on the right foot, favoring the weight on his left. With a shake of her head she returned to her place by the fire, and rested back on the small chair she'd dragged over. Her feet stretched out in front of her and she basked in the ultimate Christmas feeling. Presents awaited her eager attention under the tree, her hair was drying naturally from the heat of the fire and the wine she sipped tingled deliciously with the bubble of excitement she could all but taste. The shower ran for mere moments and she could hear Mulder moving around in the bathroom, banging and crashing about within the small confines of the room around him.  
  
She went into her bedroom, grabbing a duffel bag to pack the gifts into and quickly put his into the bottom of it, lest she forget it. As she carefully put the last box in and zipped it closed, Mulder breezed in from behind, his stealthy approach surprising her. Jumping at the shadow that moved around her, turning to see him standing barefoot behind her.  
  
"Forgot your shoes?"  
  
"No...I think I did a number on my ankle...you don't happen to have an ace bandage around here do you?"  
  
"Sure Mulder, sit down. I'd best take a look at that."  
  
He claimed the seat by the fire as she rose to get the first aid box. Staring into the dancing flames he enjoyed the flickering heat that stroked his face, basking him in the Christmassy atmosphere that she'd so effortlessly created, while his own apartment stood cold, powerless and free of holiday cheer, save for the small pathetic Christmas sock that hung empty from his fish tank.  
  
"Let me take a look..." she asked kneeling before him so he wouldn't have to move it too far. She rolled up his trousers to mid shin as she examined the swollen foot. A large purple bruise was permeating his otherwise sallow skin and it looked as if it was going to expand a lot further before it began to recede. "Can you rotate it?"  
  
With a wince and a small groan he twisted it round and wiggled his toes. She asked him to curl it and bend it, pushing her palm against his sole as he pushed back as hard as he could.  
  
"Okay, it looks like you may have sprained it." She pulled an ace bandage from the box and began to wrap his foot up tightly. "You should really stay off it though, Mulder."  
  
"It'll be fine. It feels better already honestly."  
  
She pulled his sock over the bandage and helped him slip on his shoes. Tentatively he stood from the chair and rested a hand on her shoulder. A wan smile traversed his lips, failing at the last moment to bring any warmth to his features.  
  
"C'mon, lets blow this joint!"  
  
Scully covered the fire and switched off the tree lights, as Mulder collected his bag from behind the couch where he'd dropped it after his shower. They walked as fast as she dared through the snow not wanting him to strain his injury, knowing he was in no eager rush to confront her brother again.

_I know this chapter ends kind of suddenly...but look...I added the next one straight away! :)_


	4. Chapter 4

Thankfully the traffic on Christmas was minimal so they breezed to her mother's house in less then 20 minutes. She parked the car behind Bill's on the street and as they stepped out into the cool night, they were met by music coming from the living room. Scully collected her bag from the boot, slinging it over her shoulder as Mulder was hopping out from the passenger seat. She watched as he took a deep breath, seeming to gear himself up for the evening ahead, but before she could stop herself she reached out to take his hand, curling her fingers around his and smiling at him tenderly. A small wink escaped and she tugged on his hand, pulling him towards the house.  
  
The door was unlocked and Scully pushed it open to be met with a wall of heat and the smell of cooking ham. Mulder hung back as she dropped the large bag inside the door and caught the attention of the small crowd that gathered by the roaring fire. The stereo was playing a compilation of Christmas hits, disguising their arrival, but not for long as Mrs. Scully noticed them and rushed over. Gathering her daughter into a tight hug, she glanced at Mulder over her shoulder and smiled.  
  
"I'm so glad you two made it. It's really starting to snow heavily out there." She moved past Scully and pulled Mulder into an equally tight embrace as the rest of the family joined them.  
  
"Yeah we left a bit early to ensure we'd make it!" Scully let go of her brothers hug and smiled at Tara as Mulder and Bill shook hands politely. "I couldn't miss the Christmas roll call could I?"  
  
"Come into the kitchen and let me get you a drink Fox," Mrs. Scully offered linking her arm through his and leading him forward.  
  
Scully started to pull out the gifts from her bag and place them under the tree. Mathew crawled over to her with obvious interest in the colorful wrapping, smiling as she hid them from him in the back of the tree, beyond his reach.  
  
"If I have to wait Mathew...so do you!"  
  
Standing, she picked him off the floor and carried him in to the kitchen where Mulder now stood with a glass of eggnog. He leaned against the counter as Bill and Tara sat at the table and her mother fiddled with the pots on the stove. She handed Mathew over to his mother who promptly left with promises to return after her child was asleep. "How's the SS Marimar Bill?" she asked, pouring a small glass of wine for herself.  
  
"Still floating." Bill drank his beer quietly not wanting to discuss work, without being allowed to ask about his sisters, but he'd already been instructed that it was a no go area.  
  
"Tara was saying that she's going back to work? That's great news." She pulled chair out from the table and sat down facing her brother, but the snort that came as a form of a response surprised her enough to make the wine halt halfway to her lips. "Don't give me that women in the workplace crap, Bill."  
  
"He wouldn't dare," her mother joined in, turning to face her older son who was rapidly becoming uncomfortable with the scrutiny.  
  
"I better go see if Tara needs any help."  
  
He flew out of the room as quick as he dared and Scully looked over to see Mulder swirling his eggnog in his glass while studying his feet. She pulled the chair next to hers out and patted the seat, urging him to sit down and it was then that Mrs. Scully noticed the limp he carried as he crossed the room.  
  
"Are you hurt Fox?"  
  
"No, no, just a twisted ankle. I'm fine."  
  
"We should get that shoe off and your foot elevated," Scully announced as she watched him sit down.  
  
"I'm fine, it hardly even hurts."  
  
"You are the worst liar Mulder, c'mon, come with me."  
  
She stood leaving her wine glass on the table, relived him of his glass to leave next to hers, and he took her outstretched hand, blushing when a quick glance confirmed that Mrs. Scully was watching them. Slowly she led him out to the living room where she gently pushed him onto the seat and pulled the stool over for his foot to rest on.  
  
"Can I get you some ice?"  
  
"No, really Scully, it's fine."  
  
"How about a painkiller?"  
  
"No... forget it."  
  
"I do feel bad Mulder. If I hadn't convinced you to come over, you wouldn't have been hurt rushing for the cab."  
  
"Yeah true...but I'd also be sitting at home alone, freezing with no power or heat, in the dark." His voice was low as if it were a secret he was uttering and she suddenly realized what part of that scared him the most. Perching on the arm of his chair she rested one hand on his shoulder and smiled at him as she tucked her hair behind her ear.  
  
"Well you're not alone. Although when karaoke hour comes you may wish you were."  
  
His face fell and paled before her aqua blues eyes and she laughed loudly as she stood at the behest of her mother, who called her from the kitchen. Mulder glanced around the room, until his eyes fell back on his foot he had perched on the stool, he grinned, shaking his head at his own stupidity.  
  
He'd known it was icy, that his laces were undone, but it wasn't enough to stop his hurried shuffle down the path to the waiting cab. The curb had felt hard and heavy as his twisted and fell with a groan, spying the drivers amused smirk at his misfortune from his vantage point on the ground. He gathered himself up with what little dignity he could muster and leaned into the car, wincing at the sharp pain that stabbed at his foot. Rubbing his ankle tenderly, he called out her address and made it to her mother's, and now looking down at the throbbing foot he pursed his lips.  
  
The room around him seemed to match the atmosphere at Scully's place, with the fire lit, the tasteful decorations and cards bestowing warm holiday greetings lining the mantelpiece. With a stifled moan, Mulder gripped the arms of the chair and stood up. He carefully made his way to the line of cards and fingered them gently. He threw a quick glance over his shoulder before picking one up and opening it to read the simple message inside. It had been a long time since he'd received such a greeting, or for that matter sent a Christmas card and the stab of nostalgia that pierced him was both surprising and warming. He couldn't help but reach for another.  
  
When he tried not to step on his sore foot, he over stretched, dragging the card between his fingers, tasting that sharp stinging pain that only a paper cut can inflict.  
  
"Dammit," he uttered pulling his finger into his mouth, leaning full force on his ankle as he twisted away from the fireplace. "Gimme a god dammed break."  
  
He put the card back on the mantelpiece still sucking on his sore miniscule cut that seemed to be pumping with pain with every amplified beat of his heart. A light cough behind him caught his attention, and he turned to find Bill standing in the doorway, his hands on his hips and his smile non- existent.  
  
"Find something interesting Mr. Mulder?"  
  
"I was just looking at the lovely cards." Mulder dropped his injured finger from his lips and faced Bill, fully determined not to show the irritating pain he was feeling.  
  
"It's what happens at Christmas when you have friends." Bill walked towards him and for a startling moment, Mulder was sure that he was going to thump him, until he reached for the poker to stoke the fire. The festive music had stopped as the tape reached the end and the room exploded with a tense silence, punctured only by Bills angry stabbing. But before Mulder could attempt to alleviate it, Scully walked in and frowned at the sight of him standing.  
  
"Mulder, I thought I told you to stay sitting."  
  
"I was just looking at the eh...cards."  
  
"Well food is ready so come on in. You too Bill but wash your hands."  
  
The meal passed without incident even with Bill sitting directly across from Mulder, their eyes locking occasionally but thankfully nothing came of it and thinking back on the day he'd just had, he wouldn't have been surprised if he found himself on the receiving end of a cold hard Navy punch.  
  
The offerings of his washing up services where hushed with waves of towels, and he soon found himself sitting on the couch with Scully, her side pressing against him warmly. She had started the tape again and smiled at him shyly as the gentle crooning of Bing Crosby diluted the room with the Christmas spirit.  
  
"How's your foot Mulder? You should have it elevated."  
  
"It's fine Scully, it's just been twisted."  
  
"If it swells it-," she began sitting forward and reaching out to examine it.  
  
"Scully if it swells it will go down...forget it!" He caught her hand before she could reach his ankle and pulled it up onto his lap, holding it there firmly.  
  
"Oh thank god he's gone to sleep."  
  
Tara walked in and sank heavily into the armchair, her hair mussed and a suspicious stain on her left shoulder. Distant clinking of delft could be heard as Bill and her Mother put the last of the dishes away. Scully sat up at the sound of them coming in through he kitchen. She reclaimed her hand from Mulder's lap to finger her hair away from her face with both hands blowing out a sharp breath that puffed her cheeks. Bill perched next to Tara, placing a loving arm around her shoulders in a tender gesture Mulder wouldn't have thought him capable of had he not seen it himself. Aware of how Scully had detangled herself from him, he remained still as she leaned forward watching her mother's progress across the room to claim the second chair.  
  
Mrs. Scully surveyed the room with a regal eye, her glance lingering on Mulder and Scully who sat uncomfortably in the centre of the room trying desperately not to lean against each other on the couch.  
  
"I am glad you all could make it tonight, of all nights, to spend Christmas here."  
  
"It certainly beats floating in the middle of some ocean, in a metal tub filled with lonely men," Bill quipped extracting a laugh from Mulder that no one expected, least of all himself. He swallowed it quickly under the eyes of the others but Mrs. Scully just smiled.  
  
"Oh Bill, your father would go mad at that thought. He always made it home for Christmas..."  
  
"So will I mom. So will I." He leaned down and kissed his wife on the head, but the moment was broken by the wail of a screaming child. "Doesn't mean I have to like it!" he joked as he hurried out of the room to sooth his child's fears. After a few moments when the cries could still be heard, Tara stood with a wan smile and bid everyone goodnight.  
  
"I guess the Christmas spirit is hard to maintain when the child rules the roost."  
  
Mrs. Scully groaned, rising from the seat she'd only claimed mere moments before and fixed the guard over the fire.  
  
"Well the festivities will start early tomorrow so I'll say goodnight now."  
  
"Okay mom, sleep well." Scully stood to kiss her mom and hugged her tightly.  
  
"I fixed the spare room Fox if you decide to stay, you know you're welcome to."  
  
"Thank you Mrs. Scully."  
  
"Oh I think it's about time you learned to use my name Fox. After all, I took the time to learn yours!" she said over her shoulder smiling at her daughter who was hiding smile of her own.  
  
The soft footfalls of her mom heading up the stairs remained the only sound in the house, save for the crackling of the fire and the quiet warbling of another musical Christmas hit. Mulder shifted his weight on the couch stirring next to her and making her look up.  
  
"Are you okay Mulder, you seem kind of distracted?"  
  
"I'm fine I'm just not having a very good day."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
It was posed as a question, but the small circle her lips made as she turned to face him with her body as well as her face, lifting one of her legs onto the couch and resting her arm along the back, distracted him to the point of not answering.  
  
"Mulder?"  
  
"I've just been having a bitch of a clumsy day. Nothing going quite right."  
  
"Well maybe I can cheer you up then!"  
  
Her smile was wicked. She pressed a finger to her lips as she stealthily pushed herself from the couch. He watched in awe at her exaggerated sneaky movements as she crossed the room to close the door from the hallway, and returned only to sit by the tree.  
  
"Scully-."  
  
"Shhhh," she urged smiling past her finger and patting the carpet next to her, silently thanking her mother for replacing the wooden floors before the holidays. Bemused and more than a little curious, Mulder joined her on the floor and crossed one leg beneath him, the sore one stretched out in front. She smiled at him for a moment, allowing just a hint of a giggle to escape her lips before she reached under the tree and pulled a small parcel out from the back.  
  
"I got this for you."  
  
"Scully I don't..."He glanced down at the perfectly wrapped cube she was offering and thought of the mess of bundled gift paper he'd left with her present on his bed and sighed. "I left your gift at home."  
  
"Don't worry about that Mulder. Open it," she pleaded with him, her excitement more infectious with every second.  
  
"But it's only Christmas Eve..."  
  
"I wont tell if you don't!"  
  
The last piece of hesitance died on his lips as her whisper caressed his ears and he reached out for the small gift. Turning it over, he teased himself with its unknown contents, shaking it a little and weighing it in the palm of his hand. It was about six inches in diameter but he knew its contents were disguised by the wrapping. His smile grew with his need to rip it open but he wouldn't allow himself the simple pleasure, wanting to prolong the mystery, the excitement as it coursed through his body making his fingers twitch on the lip of tape that begged to be yanked from the corner of the inviting box.  
  
Slowly, methodically, he inched his finger under the seam of the wrapping managing to get a hold until finally he pulled it free, tossing the paper where it fell. Tugging frantically to remove the rest he turned the small box over in his hand to find a magic eight ball looking back at him. Laughing with delight he removed it from the box and shook it to see the blue liquid swirl around the fortune dice inside.  
  
"I didn't know you were a believer Scully!" he laughed shaking it again in front of her.  
  
"I just thought you could do with the inside track for once!"  
  
"Thanks, it's great." His voice took on a sombre tone but she didn't want him to dwell on that, so she reached out and took it from him.  
  
"Does it work?"  
  
"Try it and see."  
  
She lifted it up and shook it with exaggerated movements as she tried to think of what to ask. The sloshing sound of the liquid cut through the silence before she held it out and asked in an even voice, "Has Mulder got me a wonderful gift?" Flipping the ball over, he leaned in closer to her to see her fortune.  
  
"Ask again later," she read aloud.  
  
"Hang on let me try..." he took it from her and copied her movements, shaking the ball with an energy he hadn't possessed all day. "Does Scully deserve a wonderful gift from me?" He held it away from her for a moment, watching her tongue dart out to lick her lips in anticipation of the answer that awaited them.  
  
"Absolutely," he read with a laugh.  
  
"Seems to be working fine to me!"  
  
He laughed aloud rolling the oval black ball between his fingers and watching the slow movement of the dark color against his skin. "These things can be dangerous Scully...in the wrong hands who knows what might happen..."  
  
"Well I'm hoping you'll only use it for good!"  
  
"I promise nothing, Scully," he muttered, voice heavy with the breath that he wasn't aware he'd been holding. The ball halted its quirky movements and she looked down as it rolled from his hands and onto the carpet, coming to stop by his foot. She looked up to see him watching her and wasn't aware of him getting closer until his breath warmed her cheeks, charging her lips with a thrill she hadn't felt in a long time. He was so close she could almost make out the colored lights from the tree in his eyes. With only a second's hesitation, as if granting her the time to move away, he closed the final distance and kissed her gently. Catching only the corner of her mouth his lips moved against hers, enhancing the sensation as she angled more closely to him, reaching a tentative hand out to his side.  
  
Taking her movement as encouragement, he applied more pressure to her lips twisting his body to face her, ignoring the pain from his foot, he enjoyed the unhurried movements as he explored the moistness of her mouth. Scully shuddered and as if giving in fully, her other hand coming up his arm to grip his neck and hold him tightly against her. Mulder gave a stifled moan and began to kiss her harder, pushing her back until she lay down on the carpet until he loomed over her, their lips never breaking contact.  
  
His trembling hand rested on her stomach, hot and heavy but unable to move, as their kiss deepened and slowed to the gentle exploration their first kiss deserved. But as Mulder finally realized he had the power to move his hand, he brought it round to encircle her waist wanting to feel her fully next to him, and it was then that the door opened, followed but a loud curse.  
  
Scully sat bolt upright as Mulder jerked away, both of them looking red- faced at Bill who stood angrily in the doorway. Bill was now right in the room as they scrambled to their feet and he hovered over them forebodingly, his frown evident and clearly aimed at Mulder.  
  
"What the hell..." he bellowed.  
  
"Bill, leave it," she argued, stepping in front of Mulder as if to protect him.  
  
"Dana what do you think-," Bill began but she cut him off with a finger pointing at his chest.  
  
"Bill. Just. Leave. It." Her words were loud and clear but she turned to Mulder as his hand clasped around her arm; he was shaking his head.  
  
"I better go."  
  
"Yeah you better." Bill's anger seemed only intensified by Mulder's willingness to leave. He glowered at him as he bent down to grab the eight ball and circled the couch to collect his jacket from the banister.  
  
"No Mulder wait." She called after him, but as he made it to the front door he pulled his coat up around his neck. "Don't go."  
  
Her pleading voice almost made him stay but it was an argument that had been festering for a long time between her and her brother but he preferred if they had the chance to fight it out in private.  
  
"I better go Scully. Don't worry." With a cautionary glace over to Bill who was glaring at him with undisguised contempt, Mulder bent down and kissed her lingeringly on the lips, daring to keep the warm contact a moment longer than was necessary, pulling away before his hands and fingers got him in worse trouble.

_Of course I had to leave it on a cliff hanger... bwuhaaa haaa haaa_


	5. Chapter 5

The door closed softly behind him and as he walked tentatively over the icy path favoring his sore ankle, he could feel the melting snow collecting against his skin on the back of his neck. It was dark and nearing 10pm on Christmas Eve so Mulder prayed for an agnostic cabbie that would still be around at this late hour. He'd left his bag in Scully's car and the coat on his back offered little warmth but with his hands dug deep in his pockets, one of them clasped around her gift, he smiled and trudged on. It was close to 15 minutes before Mulder saw any signs of life on the streets and what there was didn't seem too welcoming. He tugged the magic eight ball loose from the confines of his pocket and shook it.  
  
"Is this night going to end anytime soon?" he asked aloud hoping the movement of his lips would stop them from freezing, but before he could turn the ball over to check his fortune he was hit over the back of the head with something blunt and heavy.  
  
He fell fast and hard, hitting the ground with his chest and head before he had the chance to break the fall with his hands. A swift kick to the groin made him double up in pain, bringing a fresh bout of tears to his eyes as he yelled in agony. Frantic hands worked over his body pulling out his wallet and money whilst the other one of them removed his watch before another kicking him again to the small of his back. It was more painful than he thought possible. At the sight of his FBI badge one of the assailants shouted in alarm to the other and before he knew it, the footsteps retreated swiftly into the night.  
  
For a moment he didn't move, preferring to remain still and let his body recover a bit. Closing his eyes, he let the fatigue seep around his skin and he drifted off into oblivion.  
  
He opened his eyes, jerking his head, unaware of how long he'd been laying there, Mulder tried to move but with weary limbs he couldn't. Eventually he managed to sit up and touched a tender finger to his lips, tasting the blood and remembering Scully's kiss he'd shared earlier with a sigh. His fingers touched the magic eight ball as he reached for the curb to steady himself. Remembering his question he reached out to see fate.  
  
"Outlook not so good," Mulder read aloud, flinching at the sharp pain from his cracked lip and all the other sore body parts. "No shit"  
  
Scully arrived at apartment number 42 only to find it empty. The blue light from the fish tank cast shadows unnaturally around the room told her the power had returned, while projecting the outline of the Christmas sock eerily onto his wall. She switched on the light and walked through his apartment but he was nowhere to be seen. Dialling his cell phone she waited for him to pick up but groaned at hearing it's shrill ring from the bedroom where she'd just placed his bag.  
  
"Dammit Mulder where are you?"  
  
She cursed his absence and sat heavily onto the couch. It offered little comfort so she kicked off her shoes in an effort to get more comfortable on it. The apartment was cold and she suppressed a shiver, pulling the blanket from the back of his couch, tucking it around herself as she mulled over the past hour. Mulder had left in a hurry and she couldn't blame him, but his presence and support would have been nice. Immediately after the door closed behind him, she turned on her brother with a fury he'd never seen before. The commotion had brought Margaret Scully scampering from her bed, covering herself in a thick robe and calling to her grown children to hush the noise lest they wake Matthew. But it was more than she could do to dampen her daughter's fury.  
  
Dana Scully released a lot of the tension she'd been harboring with a verbal assault on her brother, and it wasn't until she had stormed off and driven half way to Mulder's house that the tears began to fall. Huddled now alone, on his couch on Christmas Eve with her energy spent she allowed her eyes to droop over, plunging her into the relative safety of darkness where the stinging tears could be held at bay.  
  
She wasn't sure how much later it was when the heavy footsteps in the hallway and a key in the lock woke her. The door swung open with force, slamming against the wall behind it and she jumped up at the sound of his pained moan.  
  
"Mulder?" she met him in the hallway where his crumpled body used the wall as a leverage point to stagger past her, before landing on the couch with another moan tinged with a sigh of relief. She closed the door and switched more lights on to see him better, but he covered his face to the burning brightness.  
  
"What happened to you?" she asked kneeling before him and gently prying his hands off his head to reveal his cut lips bruised cheek and scratched forehead. "Mulder, can you hear me?" Gently she tapped the side of his cheeks with the back of her fingers and he moaned in protest at the intrusion to his rest.  
  
"Stop...whatever it is you are doing, that hurts...please stop!"  
  
His voice was hoarse and throaty and she knew he must have swallowed some of his own blood. Rushing out to the kitchen she fetched him a glass of water, putting on the coffee table. She pulled him into a sitting position and dragged his soaked coat off his shoulders, lowering it down his arms, before finally tugging it free of its damp confines. His sweater came off easily over his head and she cupped his face in her hands to make him face her fully.  
  
"Hey Scully!" he exclaimed as if he'd just noticed she was there.  
  
"Mulder look at me...follow my finger..." She waved her hand in front of his eyes with her index finger extended "What happened?"  
  
"Two guys jumped me...they got my wallet and watch."  
  
"Looks like they got in a few punches too."  
  
"There were two of them. Did I mention that they were really big?" he jibed, his lucidity returning as he used her face as a focal point that helped to stop the room from swimming.  
  
"Does it hurt anywhere?"  
  
"Try everywhere." His eyes screwed up tightly at the sharp memory of the first kick he received. "Not my lucky day Scully."  
  
"Go wash up Mulder and I'll take a look at your wounds."  
  
He slowly stood and went to the bathroom leaving a trail of sodden clothes in his wake and she went back to the kitchen to boil the kettle to make him a hot drink. As the shower started in the bathroom, she collected his things from the floor and dumped them into the wash basket, but before she walked away she spotted the magic eight ball in the pocket of his coat. A whimsical smile on her lips as she reached for it and took it back into the living room. The bathroom opened with a billow of steam and he emerged wearing a pair of navy cotton pyjama bottoms and a gray tee shirt.  
  
"How are you feeling?" she asked as he shuffled dejectedly and sat down next to her.  
  
"My head feels like its about to explode, my back feels as though the Lakers girls danced a routine on top of me, and the rest of me just plain aches!"  
  
"They took your wallet and badge?"  
  
"And a fair helping of my dignity too," he added at the thought of his abused body lying on the snow covered curb. "Let me see?"  
  
She ran her fingers through his hair searching for any serious lumps that might mean a trip to the ER. Her medically trained fingers probed gently but he still winced at her touch.  
  
"Careful there Scully."  
  
"Sorry Mulder. It doesn't look like you got a concussion at all. Did you loose consciousness at any time?"  
  
"I may have, I'm not sure."  
  
"You should really go to the hospital and get checked out."  
  
"No Scully...its Christmas Eve. We're not spending it in the ER."  
  
"What's this 'we' crap Mulder!" she teased.  
  
"Everything okay at home?" Her eyes were red rimmed and watery and he cursed himself for not noticing before. Obviously she had come in search of him after the inevitable argument was over, but he'd been otherwise engaged.  
  
"Yes Mulder it's fine. I didn't want you to spend Christmas Eve at home alone."  
  
"That makes two of us."  
  
Her smile was weak and she looked up at him under hooded eyes, seeing an open warm expression on his face.  
  
"I eh...I couldn't help but notice...eh, that we kissed."  
  
"I noticed that too."  
  
"I also umm, couldn't help but eh, notice that we'd probably still be kissing if it wasn't for your damned brother."  
  
"You think?"  
  
"Oh Scully...I know."  
  
He gave her a slow predatory smile and a dark gleam crossed over his eyes as he made no qualms about his actions this time, leaning towards her, a finger beneath her chin holding her face in place. Her heart was beating quickly and she knew that if he kissed her the way he'd done before she would explode. He kissed her eyes, trailing his lips down to hers, covering them with exquisite teasing gentleness until she thought she might faint.  
  
"Mulder," she began unsteadily. "I..."  
  
"Shhhh don't talk," he muttered silencing her with his lips and another kiss as his hands found their way to her waist. But as he turned to reach her more comfortably, his foot caught the leg of the small coffee table jerking it and knocking the mug of coffee over, spilling the hot liquid over his bare feet. "Jesus Christ!" he yelped jumping away from her and pulling his foot off the sodden ground and onto the couch.  
  
"Are you okay Mulder?" she said hiding her smile behind her hand as she dashed into the kitchen to grab a towel. and wet it under the cold tap before returning to his side. "Here...show me." Slowly his foot emerged from his tight grip and she wrapped the cold wet towel around it.  
  
"Oh Scully that's cold!"  
  
"It's supposed to be."  
  
"What is it with me today. Nothing is going quite right for me," "Nothing?" Her eyebrow arched questioningly and their eyes connected, allowing thoughts and sensations pass freely between them.  
  
"Well almost nothing..." He licked his lips with a quick, almost shy movement before kissing her softly at the base of the neck.  
  
"Mulder...what's going to happen?"  
  
"What do you mean?" he asked, his sore foot and coffee stain forgotten as his kisses traversed her neckline and progressed to her ear.  
  
"I mean...what's going on? What are we doing?"  
  
"Scully I know you went to catholic school but I thought even you'd know by now..." He pulled away from her not wanting to make her feel uncomfortable. "Scully, I don't know," he admitted.  
  
"Well maybe we should ask that..." His eyes followed to where she was gesturing to and he spotted the magic eight ball resting on the coffee table. Smiling he reached for it and held it out to her.  
  
"What do you want to know?"  
  
"Are we doing the right thing?" she whispered her eyes a mix of fear and desire that shone brighter as he shook the ball. He turned it over and looked up at her for a moment before reading the message, wondering how much weight she'd apply to their fortune.  
  
"Ask again later." The message was clear and Mulder froze afraid to look up and see rejection in her eyes, but her hand took the ball from his and she put it down on the couch behind her.  
  
"I guess it is just a toy." Her voice was so low that he strained to hear it and for a moment he thought his hopes had made him hear her gentle words, but as her hand came up to touch his face, bringing him up to look at her, the warmth of her eyes showed him the truth. "Or maybe it's telling us that we have to make our own decisions, our own mistakes...our own fate."  
  
This time it was she who closed the distance between them to initiate the kiss, but it was soft and gentle without intrusion or fear. His hands remained planted on his lap and after a moment she pulled away to gauge his reaction. A hint of a smile played across his lips as the flashing clock on his VCR caught his attention.  
  
"Hey Scully, it's after midnight. It's Christmas day," he chuckled as if nothing had happened between them. "I can give you your wonderful gift now."  
  
"You already have Mulder." Her lips easily found their way back to his and she felt him smiling as his hands regained the power of movement and slid up her side to pull her closer and tighter, oblivious to the heavy snowfall that began outside.  
  
Christmas at last, Mulder thought with a smile, as he tightened his grip, laying back, pulling her with him.  
  
"I might need to check your bruises more closely, Mulder." Scully purred as she tugged at his tee shirt.  
  
The Magic 8 Ball rolled a little with ambient draft from the window, reflecting two lovers celebrating their newfound Christmas joy.  
  
**The End. **

**© Skinfull 2003 **

**_There ya go Gillian Leigh, persistance does work so I posted this chapter today especially for you!_ **


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